[TennesseeCountryBoy]

Well I came across an offer I couldn’t pass up, a some what running big red for $450. Went and got it, no spark, no kick start, needed a lot of work and was a bit rougher than the pics in the ad. But it came with two totes loaded with old parts.

First thing I did was strip it down and pull off the wiring harness, and tore all the crap off of it. Man it was hacked. I replaced 25% of it with all new plugs and wire loom. Putting it back together has proven to be a challenge because it wasn’t all hooked up when I got it. I don’t have bulbs for the dash but jumping the solenoid bumps the starter so I’m making progress there, and 1/2 the harness isn’t hooked up.

It wouldn’t go into gear. He had both side covers off, and bolts missing from both. I removed both of them, realigned the shifter on the stator side, and stripped off the silicone from the clutch side. It shifts though the gears now without the covers on but I still can’t get the rear end to spin. Waiting on gaskets to put them back on, maybe with the old EPI stall kit out of my junkyarded grey 380 build.

I sand blasted the battery box and painted it gloss black, it needs a new battery cushion but I’ll wait on that. Luckily the battery is hot.

This thing is begging to be 300 swapped with a 317 kit, but I’d like to get the 250 running ASAP because I need a machine for snow season this spring. I have a 300 2wd engine to put it but it doesn’t pull and it smokes, so maybe I’ll get a little custom with that.





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[TennesseeCountryBoy]

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[retro]

It looks like a lot of fun! I never understood the motives of wiring hackers either...

 

[TennesseeCountryBoy]

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[retro]

That'll buff out... LOL. It looks like you're gonna be wetsanding and buffing for a few days... hard work!

 

[Goober]

Hey it came with the toolbox; complete boxes with good lids are hard to find

 

[PowerStroke70]

Congrats man, I just happened across one about a month back as well! 85 250ES Big Red, in great shape, needs fork seals and it's getting spark but won't start, so gotta figure that out, but other than those 2 items I'm working on and a set of tires, shes awesome! I got my first motorcycle when I was 7 then they came out with the 3 wheelers a few years later and I was in love and had em ever since. It takes a special person to love em and actually be able to ride em without killing yourself. I can take a 3 wheeler anywhere and then some anyone can take a 4x4 4 wheeler and there's some folks that said I was a nut job and didn't believe me, but a couple hours into a ride with 7 other folks and me being the only one on 3 wheels, legs just say 2 ol boys were more than happy to apologize for what was said beforehand and eat crow with a smile lol. So, congrats on your new toy and I know parts are getting hard to find, so PM me if ya need to and can share a few places I've found over the years and if they don't have it, they can find it!

 

[TennesseeCountryBoy]

Congrats man, I just happened across one about a month back as well! 85 250ES Big Red, in great shape, needs fork seals and it's getting spark but won't start, so gotta figure that out, but other than those 2 items I'm working on and a set of tires, shes awesome! I got my first motorcycle when I was 7 then they came out with the 3 wheelers a few years later and I was in love and had em ever since. It takes a special person to love em and actually be able to ride em without killing yourself. I can take a 3 wheeler anywhere and then some anyone can take a 4x4 4 wheeler and there's some folks that said I was a nut job and didn't believe me, but a couple hours into a ride with 7 other folks and me being the only one on 3 wheels, legs just say 2 ol boys were more than happy to apologize for what was said beforehand and eat crow with a smile lol. So, congrats on your new toy and I know parts are getting hard to find, so PM me if ya need to and can share a few places I've found over the years and if they don't have it, they can find it!

That’s cool man I wish I had been around for the early Honda days when they weren’t scared to make cool and powerful stuff. One of the guys in my riding crew had a big red for a while, and it did just as well as the 4x4s, attracted a lot of attention, and looked like a blast to ride. I saw this and had to have it, I had told myself when I see a project 250 pop up I’d get it. I may have to let you know about finding some parts as well.


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[TennesseeCountryBoy]

250 is outta here


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[fishfiles]

If you do Facebook ,there is a site called Honda Hoarders that is 905 three wheelers , lots of parts for sale and highly customized trikes

 

[PowerStroke70]

There's nothing else like em man, they're an absolute BLAST! However, after a good day of riding you'll wake up the next morning sore in places ya didn't even know ya had LMAO!!! You use so many different muscles staying on top of one vs a 4 wheeler, so you'll soon find out exactly what I mean lol. I wish Honda would come back with the 3 wheelers but a few dozen stupid folks ruined it for the rest of the world as you well know. I look back at all of the different ones I've had through the years and at what some are bringing now and I could kick myself in my own gonads, but who knew!!!!! If ya need anything or have any questions just let me know, I'm more well versed with these than anything else since I've had em basically since I was 11 years old so I've done about everything a man could do to one. Retro sent me a link to the factory manual and will be more than happy to pass that along if ya need it, it's a big help.

 

[TennesseeCountryBoy]

Yeah fish I’m on Facebook I recall seeing your 300s on the 300 page a while back I think.

I rode my buddy’s 250 one time years ago for a few days and I was pretty sore. But they’re so fun to ride. My idea with this one isn’t bombing though the woods or working, it’s just for looking extra cool (compared to my 300s) when I go down the road to feed my horses or check fencing or whatever little things I gotta do.

But I have hit a pretty big snag in the road. I couldn’t get it to crank over for the life of me. I fixed all the wiring I could find, hot battery, used the test light, checked it all, and nothing. I swapped over as many good electrical parts from a 300 as I could and still nothing. Then I found that there was a standard bolt cross threaded in the oil drain hole. After seeing that I had the whole 250 out in about 15 minutes.

Now to 300 swap one the wiring harness must be repinned for a 300 cdi. But that only works on 86 and 87, not 85. Good thing I have a whole 300 harness laying around. But now my cdi will be by the headlight and my fuses in the back by the battery, vise versa from stock. I may run it like that or rewire it and move them.

Now I was mostly ready for the 300 swap, besides the 300 engine I got smokes and doesn’t pull. So I’ll open it up before I bolt it in and fix all that, maybe with a 317 kit and some stall clutches.

THEN I heard the out put shaft must be swapped out of the 250 and into the 300 to make that work. So things keep piling up and this project may end up getting put on the back burner for even longer than it already has been. Plot twist I know.

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[ATC4ever]

Yea, keep that original motor (whether it is or not). Never know, some day you may want it like it was back then.
I got on a buds of mine back in 85, it had a lot of torque i thought at the time, now the current machines make them feel small & slow :O

 

[fishfiles]

That would be nice to have a ATC250 with a 300 engine in it with some 30s , they tell me you can swop that output shaft without splitting the case if you are careful , lay it on it's side , slide a dole thru one side as you pull the shaft out the other , but I hear you need to be careful that the oil journals lineup in the correct spots

 

[TennesseeCountryBoy]

I’ll defiantly keep the original 250 laying around and maybe fix it up good if I get bored. I might end up using it again if this 300 engine is in too bad of shape.

I’ve never split case halves before and the 300 engine I have doesn’t pull so I think I’m gonna split it completely and swap that 250 output shaft, and fix whatever is broken.

I don’t think I’ll be putting anything bigger than a 25 inch tall tire on this one, I’ve got my back tires figured out but I still need to find a good front tire.


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[shadetree]

That would be nice to have a ATC250 with a 300 engine in it with some 30s , they tell me you can swop that output shaft without splitting the case if you are careful , lay it on it's side , slide a dole thru one side as you pull the shaft out the other , but I hear you need to be careful that the oil journals lineup in the correct spots

you will never pull the output shaft, and get one back in, and all gears line back up without splitting the cases !..lol. if you do ?..let me know !!..matter of fact, make a video of it, i'd like to see it done ?!..lol.